SO,I'M A NIGHT-OWL. DOES THAT MAKE ME A
FEATHER- HEAD?

Welcome to my Garden.Here is the beauty of my world,in microcosm. It is filled with plants, flowers,animals,birds and persons who are so important to me,that all together, fill me with delight,every day.

MUSICAL TREATS-

"WHERE NO ONE STANDS ALONE "JIMMY SWAGGART: THERE IS ROOM AT THE CROSS FOR YOUDONE BY JIM RECORDS, 2006, THIS IS JIMMY'S NEWEST CD, WITH JIMMY ON THE VOCALS, AND THE PIANO, BACKED UP BY THE SILKY VOICES OF THE CRUSADE TEAM,AND FULL MUSICAL ACCOMPANYMENT, WITH JIMMY'S UNPARALLELED ARRANGEMENTS, TRULY AN OUTSTANDING TIME OF PRAISE AND WORSHIP,AND A COMFORT TO THE SOUL. (*****)

IT'S LUCKY WE METJANET PASCHAL: BILL GAITHER AND GLORIA: GOD BLESS AMERICAGAITHER GOSPEL SERIES LIVE FROM CARNEGIE HALL
WITH THEIR HOMECOMING FRIENDS-GET USED TO BEING HAPPY! (*****)

"UNBREAK MY HEART"IL DIVO: IL DIVO A NEW GROUP JUST INTRODUCED ON OPRAH AND THE TONIGHT SHOW, PUT TOGETHER BY SIMON C.
FROM AMERICAN IDOL...FOUR YOUNG MEN, ALL FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, DOING HIP SONGS IN AN OPERATIC STYLE! A MUST HAVE FOR THOSE WHO LOVE MUSIC! YUMMY! SONG IN ITALIAN, OR SPANISH, OR ONE OF THOSE ROMANCE LANGUAGES...WHATEVER IT IS, IT WORKS FOR ME! (*****)

MOONLIGHT SONATABEETHOVEN: PIANO SOLOSSERENE, RESTFUL, AND BEAUTIFUL CLASSICAL MUSIC
TRY THIS IN FRONT OF THE FIRE WITH A GOOD BOOK
AND A GLASS OF WINE. REFLECTIVE.
HAS A WAY OF CALMING KIDS DOWN. (*****)

RHAPSODY IN BLUEGEORGE GERSHWIN: FANTASIA II; DISNEY ALSO AVAILABLE JUST UNDER IT'S OWN NAME,
ON CD OR CASSETTE. SYMPHONIC JAZZ.
GEORGOUS! (*****)

WORD LOVES

T.H. WHITE: "THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING"This is THE BOOK, without which no home library of good fiction is complete! The foundation for the complete Aruthurian ledgend, upon which was based "The sword in the Stone", "Camelot",as well as "Merlin!" There is even speculation of it being an allegory of Christ.A book you will read, and re-read for years to come! It is beautiful, romantic,realistic to the times,and even screamingly funny in places! (*****)

Barbra D'amato: Of course you know that chocolate is a vegetable!Anthology of murder mysteries! Funny, clever and so well written. If you love chocolate, you will drool over the title story! (*****)

VIRGINIA WOOLF edited by Susan Dick: THE Complete Shorter Fiction Of Virginia Woolf A book that follows Virginia Woolf's art of lyrical prose developement...encounter continuous delights for the mind! Be stirred by the color and vapours of Kew Gardens,sweet, magical pictures her words will create in your mind! (*****)

WARREN MURPHY & RICHARD SAPIR: THE DESTROYER SERIES FROM #1 TO THE 64TH, (WHICH IS ONLY AS FAR AS I HAVE GOTTEN IN MY COLLECTION) THIS MARTIAL ARTS SERIES HAS GOT IT ALL.REMO WILLIAMS IS A WISE-CRACKING "DEAD" COP, AND HIS MENTOR IS THE FRAGILE LOOKING CHIUN, MASTER OF SINANJU,
TOGETHER THEY COMPRISE THE KILLING ARM OF A BRANCH OF THE US GOVERNMENT THAT DOES NOT EXIST.

NORA LAM AND RICHARD SCHNIEDER: CHINA CRY: THE NORA LAM STORYTHE TRUE STORY OF A WOMAN WHO FOUND THE COURAGE TO LOVE AND THE STRENGTH TO SURVIVE AGAINST ALL ODDS. (*****)

Alright, right off the top of my head, accuse me of being unsympathetic if you want to,but what were your plans when you plotted this career course for your life's work? Surely, the aspect of money came up,and for some reason, you decided to be a teacher. I know you didn't think you were going to be rich! Perhaps when you were young, a teachers salary sounded like a fortune,but somewhere in collage it must have hit you that you weren't going to be rolling in dough! So, what were you thinking? That you would marry,and between the two of you, your income would be sufficent? Or, maybe you were so idealistic, the Teaching calling itself was the goal, and now after so many years, idealism has worn off, reality has set in, and the union has emboldened you to the extent that you now feel you are worth more to the community. Well, you were right, but you were wrong. In our society, the more valuable service you render to mankind, the less you will be paid,and the less valuable your work, like, Oh, I don't know, ah...running around on a field playing games for a living, the more you will be paid. And, I agree it doesn't make any sense, but them's the conditions that prevail. So, unless you want to find yourself with no job whatsoever, you best get back to the classroom, because there are a WHOLE BUNCH of teachers out there, working other jobs,soo, it's not going to take much to replace you!

(AS SUNG BY GUY PENROD IN THE LEAD,BACKED BY THE GAITHER VOCAL BAND,AND ALL THE HOMECOMING FRIENDS)

The first paragraph is a spoken intro by Bill Gaither;

Bill: You see, there's a line that's been drawn, down through the ages, and on that line, there stands an ol' rugged cross, and on that cross, there's a battle that's raging, for the gain of mans soul, or it's loss.On one side there marches all the forces of evil-all the demons, and all the devils of hell. Aw, but friend,

(and now he starts to sing);on the other, the Angels of Glory-and they meet, on Golgotha's hill!

Guy: The earth shakes, with the force of the conflict, and the sun refuses to shine. For there hangs God's son in the balance, and then, through the darkness he cries!

All: It is finished! The battle is over! It is finished, there'll be no more war! It is finished! The end of the conflict! It is finished, and Jesus Is Lord!

Guy: Yet in my heart, the battle was still raging! Not all prisoners of war had come home, or would ease the battlefield of my own making, I didn't know that the war had been won! Oh, but when I heard that the King of all ages, had fought all life's battles for me...and that victory was mine for the CLAIMING, AND NOW, PRAISE HIS NAME I AM FREE!

All:It is finished! The battle is over! It is finished, there'll be no more war! It is finished! The end of the conflict! It is finished, And Jesus Is Lord!

This is not going to be, or rather, shall I say, not intended to be, a large blog. Yes, it is a rant, sorry folks, but I am upset, but what I have to say won't take a lot of words! Short, pithy and to the point! Colin Powell, went on the Tonight show, with Jay Leno, to explain the position to the American public about the Dubi company having control over our eastern seaboard ports. I don't care if the company, or the country in which it is based is friendly or not. No other country should have anything to say about an American port but American powers and forces.All question and debate over this matter was settled, as I understand it, over two hundred years ago,and is not open for change or revision at this late date. I don't care if turning them down hurts the Dubi's blasted feelings, the answer should be not only no, but heck no! We cannot allow even a toehold to be made by another country, on these Continental United States! That is lunacy! Government's fail, or are overthrown! Leaders change,and so do allegiances! If this intrusion is allowed to stand, we will find ourselves in a huge mess! Dubi is an Arab nation,and we cannot afford to go along with this company that was British based, and was sold to Dubi to take advantage of a business deal to make an inroad into our ports because of it. This whole thing has nothing to do with Protocol, and everything to do with being hoodwinked! We can't afford to be nice, and be STUPID! Think people, think! Did our Arab friends do anything to prevent OPEC from raising the cost of crude oil so high? NO! But, that's our pals! Our buddies! UH-HUH! You think you know what a "Friendly" Nation is capable of, but let me tell you, they don't have any compunction whatever over stabbing a FRIEND in the back, if it suits them.Which brings me to the second point of my blog.Britain. They're supposed to be our friends.Now, I'm going to stop just short of suggesting that the company that brokered this deal was no friend of ours, or they wouldn't have set us up this way. After all, the government of a friendly country cannot be expected to watch out for every deal that is made with a foreign power...which brings me back to my original point. Even if the Government of another country is agreeably disposed towards us at the time, that does not mean that they always will be, nor that the company is going to have our best interests at heart, now, always, or forever.

As far as I am concerned, this whole thing stinks to high heaven. Other than their supposed reasonableness, what assurance do we have that there is no hidden agenda?

None whatever!

Write that down! That's the most important piece of evidence we have heard yet!

God help us. Mark my words. We need to be as wise as foxes,and as gentle as doves.....and People in power? Don't trust anybody!

1.At last the Olympics are over,and I can watch television again! Today, I got to watch Jeopardy! Tonight, I saw Jay Leno, for a whole hour, and he did headlines! I know I said it before, but GAD! I'm glad the Olympics are OVER!

2.All around us, there are storms and cold and cloudbursts, flooding and prairie fires. But here in the mid-west, our weather is mild.We hit 60 degrees today, and by Wednesday, we will have another windy and warm day. Ah! Spring cometh! Gosh, maybe it will be windy enough, I can borrow my kid's binoculars,and watch the neighborhood children fly kites this week!

3.I can hardly wait to see Law and Order, or SVU again.Scrubs! Earl! Even four kings, maybe. Gee, but it's nice to have even limited choices again!

No, I am not still partying over the Olympics.Well, not really. And I have no designs on fat Tuesday,otherwise known as Mardi Gras, which, if you missed my attitude on that, as far as I am concerned, is just silly.No, I have no interest in that colossal waste of time, energy, and resources. The celebrating to which I refer is the joy and happiness felt by those of us who have suffered through this last two weeks, (honestly, it feels more like two months!) of constant unending coverage of the Olympic games on NBC. But, just as nature does a quick turn around when you think spring is finally here, and gives us a surprise snow storm or something after the Tulips are starting to emerge, After the "closing ceremonies" of the Olympics last night, and the 10:ooP.M. news was over, what did they do? Why, the same thing they did all through the coverage! THEY RAN IT AGAIN! And I am going,"WHAT?!" ( SHOUTING at the t.v. screen)"Hey guys! The closing ceremonies means it's supposed to be OVER!!!" Okay? Okay, I lost my temper, just a little bit.However, I was all alone,and waiting for a usual Sunday night program to come on, like a rerun of CSI or something, anything but the winter games! Because I am so sick of the Olympics, and so glad it's over, that's all I needed to set me off! So, with that feeling fresh in my mind, and looking foreward?...to the summer games,I would like to take this opportunity to put a bug in NBC'S ear, regarding that coverage.Just as some of us don't much care for most sports...but certain ones do grab our attention, don't do the same thing you did this time.Just as with winter sports, there are some I sort of do like to watch,like skating. In the summer, it is swimming and diving.But I don't want nothing but sports, even the ones I like, day in and day out...or (cringe) 24-7! The fact is, as most regular individuals, I like VARIETY! Sports not being my dish of tea, I tire of it quickly. I don't even want to watch the ones I like to the exclusion of all else. So, it would be nice, if you could cover the major stuff, just once during a 24 hour period,and maybe mix it up, and throw a good movie in there occasionally,and then go ahead and have your late night updates on all the stuff you think we are all out here just panting to see, ( which a lot of us aren't!) but try to have a decent balance...not just all or nothing! You know, it's bad enough, being stuck in a wheelchair,and being housebound, without benefit of cable, and then to be subjected to nothing but able-bodied youth, out there wasting all this strength and energy and stamina, and musculature power on silly games that do no one any good whatsoever,trying to win a piece of tin to hang around their necks,so they can swagger around and show the world how great they are, while our boys are over there fighting wars, and could use all that strength, that is being wasted for self-aggrandizement! When there are homes to be built, children to be fed, families to be defended and armies to be trained and raised up so our kids can come back home and take care of their own families.Every one of those winners could be teaching others how to build their muscles up and be fit and trim, to live the kind of hard lives they have to live in third world countries. Some say, but they can do that AFTER they win the gold,silver, or bronze! Aha!But will they? No! They won't. Because once they are winners, then they are looking forward to more training, and endorsement deals,and more competition four years from now. They have no interest in giving of their talents and time to improve the world, these games are all about SELF, and how great they are!

Okay.Rant over. I know better than to get all excited,and try to make an impact on the awareness of a world that thinks it is just great to spend every week-end staring at nothing but games on television, winter and summer, and every season in between. I mean, look at our options. Network television on the week-ends consists of golf, basketball, baseball, and football. When baseball finally comes to an end, it's football. When football grinds to it's muddy, bloody stop, baseball starts all over again.Golf and basketball just go on and on, unending, relentless.Stop, for just one brief moment, and try to look at this from the perspective of a person who does not want to be reminded that they are incapable of doing any of those things.What have any of you networks listed for such a person? Nothing.You pre-empt good programs for your play-offs and such, without so much as a thought to anyone who hasn't the wherewithall to avoid your ruthless offerings, completely careless of the disabled and infirmed, with no thought as to whether they might enjoy seeing something beautiful, inspiring or uplifting.I suppose there is something to be said for the networks catering completely to those who work hard all week,and all they ask on the week-end is to watch unending sports, whose sponsors are beer and other beverage producers,so they can gather at one another's houses, drink beer, yell and scream and throw chips and salsa and popcorn at each other, paint their faces, and argue over who did what. While on the sidelines, people sit alone in their wheelchairs, and if they watch television at all, it is to see cute commercials, or flip from channel to channel, looking in vain for something, that for at least a little while, will take them out of their dismal circumstances, allow them to break the bonds of their condition long enough to feel hopeful for the future, or that somewhere somebody at that network cares enough about them to give them a few moments of delightful programing, rather than to leave them sitting there, wrathful and frustrated, that these young, strong, healthy men, and women, are running around, being paid millions of dollars a year to play a stupid Game!

But, the bottom line being always money, I don't suppose such a cry would even be considered, even if it were heard. Week-end programing shall remain, as I have called it for several years now, a vast wasteland,broken up only briefly and momentarily, on Easter, and Christmas,and even then, only because everybody else is doing it. What bugs me to no end, is, since most of the sports fans have cable...(I mean, obviously, they have nothing in their heart for God, so what's the difference?) Why aren't all those sports programs relegated to the ESPN and other like sports dedicated channels, and free up the network channels for things like Sunday morning worship services,(huh, like that's going to happen!) beautiful movies the whole family can watch and enjoy together,or even fun stuff like pet/ animal videos, Pet rescue,Animated movies like Disney or Pixar, or even old, classic movies, like the road shows,or shorts like the thin man,the saint, or Travelogues? Or even COPS?

But, no. I know before I even publish this, that THESE things will not find their way to NBC, CBS, OR ABC. As much as I would like to believe that you care for human beings, and want to offer a well-rounded bill of fare, I know that next Sunday, my choices will be golf, basketball, and football. Other than that, I can take my choice of quilting or Victory garden on PBS. It is sad, really, that in the greatest country on the face of the earth,the three big television networks have no regard for their audience, beyond how much can you get us to watch you, by appealing to the sports nuts,and leaving the rest of us out. You all like to make a big deal about how much you care for us and our children, but your programing says otherwise.

Directly on the heels of the shock and dismay of hearing of Don Knotts passing, we find we have lost two more long standing stars of stage, screen and television.

For myself, I could barely contain my tears as I wrote about Don Knotts passing in the wee hours yesterday. I broke down again this morning as I watched Andy Griffith's interview on the Today show, as he spoke about his long time friendship and work with "Barney", or as he called him, "Jessey", but for me I will always think of his portrayal of Barney Fife, Andy's deputy on his show. And then, I heard about Dennis Weaver, who played Chester on "Gunsmoke", and it gave me pause to note that Dennis was also 81 years old, and also passed on Friday, in Colorado. Beyond that, there were other ways in which I would be inclined to think fondly of the both of them, because they had some things in common.Both went on to make some memorable movies, and had their own share of independent fame, but never made much of themselves as far as "Going Hollywood." But before I finish that thought, there is another wonderful actor who has gone on to his reward. Darren McGavin, also another fine actor in his own right, passed away on Saturday, at the age of 83, also in Los Angeles. Darren will always be remembered by me for his "Night Stalker" series,to which I was a constant devotee. Perhaps it is bad form for me to lump them together like this, and for those of you who liked one, but not the other two, and feel that he deserved his own remembrance by this writer, I am sorry, but for me they were all so good in their chosen profession, and since the good Lord chose to call them home at the same time, I cannot help but feel it was for a specific reason that He did so, and has laid it upon my heart to point it out, knowing deep inside, that, very probably, no one else will.

Of these three wonderful men, no breath of scandal ever touched their names. No mention was ever made of drinking and carousing with women other than their wives.No drug problems. Nothing. Wherever they went, whomever they worked with, someone will now come forth and say, "He was a wonderful guy. Everybody loved him. We are all so sad that this has come to pass, and he will be missed."

At a time when the entertainment industry is rocked with rumors and scandals on a daily basis, three actors of long standing, with impeccable reputations,fall now, passing the torch...to WHO?

The question echos through the halls of eternity, and there doesn't seem to be any answer.But,there is hope, so time will tell.

Like all diabetics, I have circulation issues,and the attendant discomforts of skin problems.When I was younger, and before the onset of this disease, I had oily skin,and the need to moisturize never even crossed my mind.Then, things suddenly changed, like, overnight, and now I am constantly confronted with the problems of dry skin, for goodness sakes, and it is a total learning experience for me.I am always on the look out for lotions and potions to ease the effects of crepey,flakey dried out skin, and, let's face it, desperate to find something to keep me from drying out so badly that I just blow away! So, every new thing that promises relief in one form or another, I send Yon son out to find and bring back to me. Well, the latest item added to the clutch of a whole slew of bottles and tubes of goopy stuff is Gold Bond.The lotion, not the old stand by powder. And, it is wonderful stuff. I applied it to my ankles and feet, and the promised relief of pain and itch was immediate and wonderful.It has something in it that acts like an anesthetic, so as Yon son continued to massage it into the skin of my ankles, where the itch was the worst, since they were swollen, I just sat there, sighing and glowing, basking in the sensation of no pain! However, with relief came a new unforeseen problem. Molly, our cat came out from her hiding place,and began to talk to me in no uncertain terms. Something had her very agitated,and she was circling around both of us, meowing and rubbing up against both our legs,and then she got aggressive,and began to lick my feet! Well, I don't know if you have ever had the experience of a cat licking you, but they have very rough little tongues,and the sensation of a hot little piece of sandpaper being rubbed on your feet and ankles is far from pleasant! My first reaction to this was to get my feet up,and away from her reach, and I said something on the order of, Molly, stop that !...In the nicest way possible, under the circumstances. Now, I try very hard to be kind and loving to our pets, but this was just so unexpected that I admit, I may have been a little harsh...but pain will do that to you. I had put my feet up on the edge of Yon son's chair, and this is when she proceeded to reach up,and try to take a bite out of my ankle! At this point, several things happened.I jumped and exclaimed, "MOLLY!", whereupon, Yon son picked her up,and looked at me, not knowing what had happened.I said, " She bit me!" I was aghast! Yon son was stunned, but straightaway took Molly and put her in his room. She is, after all, his wife's cat...and his cat when wifey is away! It was at this point I belatedly, picked up the tube of ointment, and read the ingredients.See, I had finally put two and two together. The only thing different about me at the time she decided to take a taste of my ankle, was the Gold Bond, which did have quite an aromatic smell to it, and in reading the packaging, I discovered that it had menthol listed as one of the components that made up this wonderful stuff. Apparently,menthol is a cousin to catnip,and Molly being an ordinary cat one cannot explain things to,responded to it as any cat would to catnip, once it was warmed and exuding by and from my person.Not wishing to leave Molly in Yon son's bedroom, I regretfully, and immediately washed the stuff from my ankles and then she was released from her captivity, whereupon she minced about the apartment as though nothing untoward had occurred, paying not the slightest bit of attention to me, or my ankles. Which only leads me to believe that my theory is correct, and my having taken the appropriate action,and bringing about the desired result, I can only say, case closed.

However! Should you have occasion to find yourself in need of this wonderful stuff, for it is indeed just as effective as it is touted to be, and you also have a cat in residence, it behooves me to warn you that you must take some sort of preventative measures to circumvent this same response, such as putting plastic wrap or some such thing over the affected area, to dissuade your feline from licking you! After all, they don't know that those rough little tongues can hurt you...and they may be driven to take a taste of you, in their little frenzy to find the catnip! Just some friendly advice...forewarned is forearmed, you know!

Hutset ralson on a rilara and a brawla brawla suet, Huset ralson on a rila ra and a brawla suet!

Or, this one, about fish?

Down ina medda ina itty bitty pool fam fee lita fiddies an a momma fiddy too, fim said da momma fiddy, fim if you can, an de fam an de fam all over da dam! Boop-boop didum dadum wadum, Choo! Boop-boop diidum dadum wadum, Cho! Boop-boop didum dadum wadum, choo an de fam an de fam all over de dam!

Or this one, about..well, you know...

Eddle deedle dumpling, my son John, went to bed with his stockings on, one shoe off and one shoe on, eddle deedle dumpling, my son John!

Or this one,sung by a certain cubby all stuffed with fluff.

I'm just a little black rain cloud, hovering under, your honey tree, only a little black rain cloud, pay no attention to little me. Everyone knows, that a rain cloud never eats honey, no not a drop, I'm just floating around, over the ground, wondering where I will drip..er drop!

Or, how about this one, called, the bluetail fly?

The master went riding on his horse,he couldn't wait upon his hitch.He bucked, he jumped, he ran, he pitched, he threw my master in the ditch. When he was asked the reason why, the master said, the bluetail fly! Jimmy crack corn and I don't care, Jimmy crack corn and I don't care, Jimmy crack corn and I don't care....the masters gone away!

Or, this one originally sung by Mario Lanza!? It's called "Donkey Serenade"!

There's a song in the air, but the fair senorita doesn't even care for the song in the air...so I'll sing to my mule, if your sure she won't think, that I am just a fool serenading a mule! Amigo mio does she not have a dainty bray? She listens carefully to each little word I say, but try as she may,in her voice there's a flaw, and all that the lady can say....is EE-AWWWW!

Everybody loves a baby, that's why I'm in love with you, pretty baby, pretty baby. And I'd like to be your sister, brother dad and mother too, pretty baby, pretty baby. Won't you come and let me rock you in my cradle of love? We'll cuddle all the time. Oh, I want a loving baby,and it might as well be you, pretty baby of mine, I love you. Pretty baby of mine! (kiss-kiss)

You may remember him best as Barney Fife, the bumbling, swaggering, self-important deputy on the Andy Griffith show, or as the Landlord on Three's company, or better in his big screen movies, such as "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken", or my favorite, in his movie" Mr. Limpet." And last of all, but certainly not least, "Chicken Run!" Which ever of this versatile comic actor's works you are fondest of, make sure you snap up a copy of your favorite, and cherish it,because there will be no more. Yesterday,Friday, February 24, Don Knotts passed away in a L.A. California hospital, due to breathing complications.He was 81. Yes, he was up there in years, and one cannot say Don didn't have good long run, however, it is sad to see all the good old clean talking, truly talented actors who had timing and weren't afraid to play the pawn or the dupe, do a prat fall, or be the butt of the joke...anything for a laugh, as long as it was in good taste. Sadder yet, because it seems as though the comics coming up can't fathom making an audience laugh without being off-color. No good jokes, without the filth.There are so few left of his caliber, that with Don goes the end of an Era.

Good-bye Don Knotts, and good night, we who loved your sweetness will miss you, for we'll never see your kind again.

Have you seen them? They are real, rolly-poly cats, and they are enormous! One is a mere 33 pounds, and needs special little stairs to get up on the bed! The other one is 45 pounds, and the owner lifts the cats hind end up, so it can get to it's accustomed spot.And while the television reporter was telling us that this huge 45 pounder only eats one cup of dry food and one can of moist food a day, and has no plans to put rolly on a diet, this cat is waddling away from the camera at the most unflattering angle.And I do mean, WADDLE. And, shame on me, I was filled with pity and sympathy for this poor cat, but at the same time, it just rolled from side to side,and I couldn't help it, I just cracked up! I mean, I tried not to, but some things are just too funny for restraint to have a chance. All I have to do is think about the sight, and I just giggle all over again. I guess, one of the reasons this tickled me so, was because I have been watching our own cat, Molly, walk away, and she has a bit of a waddle on her, too. Yon son and I have spoken about it,and we have decided that she is just too spoiled,and she needs less treats and tidbits, and more play-time. Now, understand me, she is way less than twenty pounds...a far cry from 33 or 45 pounds.She is sleek and her coat is glossy black, and far from lazy, she will take a notion and run from one end of the house to the other, time after time. She will stake out, and pounce upon any silly unsuspecting mousie interloper that finds it's way into the house.And, she will play with them for hours, for fun, but she won't eat them! She is a house cat( but she will spend hours staring out the window or the door) and hasn't a clue what to do with a mouse once it has given up the struggle, shall we say, and can't run away anymore.On occasion she will beg for a bowl of milk, when I am eating a bowl of cereal, but what she gets is a saucer of skim milk.My point being, she doesn't just stuff herself and then spend the rest of her time sleeping.But, after seeing these two fat cats on the news this week, I am going to take more of an interest in what she eats and try to prevent Molly from turning into one of those little butter balls, because it's obvious to me that they aren't healthy,and can't be very active, happy cats. After all, when you love something, and they don't know what is good for them, then you have a responsibility to govern that unhealthy behavior, don't you?